Beat

I cover politics, breaking news and social issues.

One Shot

30 Aug 2004. Kounoungo, Chad. Reuters/Luc Gnago

“A group of Sudanese refugees had just arrived at a camp in eastern Chad. Suddenly the sky turned dark and it started raining. The families began to cover themselves with plastic. The picture captures a situation people face every day during a humanitarian crisis.”

Profile

I was inspired to become a photographer to document my world, like Walker Evans, and tell humanitarian stories, like Sebastiao Salgado.

My first assignment for Reuters was covering the beginning of the civil war in the Ivory Coast. I saw the reality of a war for the first time - soldiers, rebels, displaced people. I learnt that a photojournalist needs to keep emotions at bay to be able to work and capture the pictures that have the potential to change the situation for the better.

I believe that telling stories with pictures can have a real impact on the world’s decision makers.

I respect all journalists. Reporters, photographers, TV journalists and editors in newsrooms devote a lot of time, away from their families, to provide the world with information.

There will always be demand for photojournalism. When a story is told well, it makes an impact. That is the difference between serious photojournalism and countless images flooding social media. They are easily available, but not reliable.